Today I just thought I’d share some observations about memorization. I know I’ve said I’m not a big fan of television but I have to admit that I do like Dora and Diego. Apparently, so do my twins. Actually, we’ve gone through a few rounds of Dora and Diego love and I suspect that in another year or so, Dora and Diego will be gone from our lives forever.
However, today, we are having a lazy day and are watching a Diego DVD about penguins. (For those of you who don’t know, Go Diego Go, focuses on teaching about animals as well as Spanish in a similar Dora like format.) To my amazement the girls know the entire episode. As I type this they are waddling, exploring their swimming feathers, and talking about blue whales. They are dancing to the songs and by golly gosh, they know all the words. I’m a little embarassed. (For the rest of you who don’t know, my twins are a mere 2 1/2 years old.)
My point in sharing this with you is just to illustrate that kids can memorize information. I think there’s a tendency for us to think that memorizing is the “old way” of teaching. I’m not a big fan of having my kids memorize things just for them to be memorized. Yet when I put the things that I want them to remember in a context that is engaging and fun–learning those things comes easily.
I often wonder if a great deal of learning difficulties don’t come from our own lack of inspiration in presenting the material. I recall very vividly a family who said their child couldn’t memorize math facts. But I bet you that if Diego or Dora started teaching multiplication tables–we’d have a nation full of kids who knew all their times tables.
Related Articles:
What Your Second Grader Should Know: Math
5 Tricks to Get Your Kids to Memorize Their Math Facts